Loneliness in Seniors

It’s no surprise to most of us that loneliness has become an epidemic. In fact, those with mental health issues experience loneliness at an alarming rate. The one group most affected, however, appears to be the elderly, with millions of older adults across the Unites States feeling lonely. Major health risks such as heart disease and dementia often come along with this loneliness.
In October 2018, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging asked a national sample of adults age 50-80 about their health, health behaviors, and experiences and feelings related to companionship and social isolation. The results are sobering.
The poll explored many aspects of social connection and health and asked about feelings of companionship, feelings of social isolation, and social contact among people age 50 to 80. It found:

Those who were unemployed, lived in lower-income households, lived alone and/or had one or more children living with them were more likely to say they lacked companionship.
Living alone was highly associated with feeling lonely; 60 percent of those who lived alone reported feeling a lack of companionship, and 41 percent felt isolated.
36 percent of women said they lacked companionship often or some of the time, compared with 31 percent of men.
26 percent of adults who said they lacked companionship also said they were in fair or poor physical health, while 13 percent of people who said they hardly ever lacked companionship reported fair or poor physical ...

Source: World of Psychology - March 20, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janet Singer Tags: Aging Family Friends Happiness Health-related Research Source Type: blogs